My 2c bit:
After flying "up north" for a while, upon crossing the boundary southbound the sweetest words are "You are under Radar Control". Quite some time ago I heard a chap (VFR, no priority) getting "momentarily unsure" of position, and the ATC as quick as a flash used landmarks (he did not have him on radar) to help the guy. Myself will sneak now and again with a small C208 in and out of FAJS to play with students. The ATCs has always been very helpful, even after I duffed an approach to
JS.
Thus, the ATCs get my vote on this one. Having visited their centre a while ago, I was mildly impressed with how much the system has improved through the years, but most of all I was impressed purely by the attitude of the staff, ready and eager to make traffic flow as freely as possible; granted, at some stage you will hit some sort of glitch that can cause a delay, etc.
But no, I do not condone outright 'having a go', as we are all human, but we are all working for a common goal, i.e. safe end enjoyable aviation. Not taking sides, but normally Athol Franz deliver a good service and useful info on his newsletter. Possibly he misunderstood the situation. ATCs (don't put me in a holding pattern for this one
) are as much a part of your flying experience as the aircraft, so look after them!
Thanks for an excellent service!
